Prison Service: Disciplinary Proceedings

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison officers were  (a) suspended and  (b) dismissed in each year since 1997.

David Hanson: Information about the numbers of public sector Prison Service employees of any grade suspended from duty in each year since 1997 is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost by contacting 13S establishments across England and Wales.
	Information about prison officer suspensions in the contracted prison estate 2003(1) to 31 October 2008 are set out in the following table.
	(1 )The Office for National Commissioning (formerly Office for Contracted Prisons) was not in operation before 2003. Prison officer includes: prison custody officer and senior officer for the contracted estate.
	
		
			   Suspensions 
			 2003 15 
			 2004 30 
			 2005 34 
			 2006 48 
			 2007 51 
			 2008 75 
		
	
	Prison officer dismissals in the public sector Prison Service and the contracted prison estate 1998(1 )to 31 October 2008 set out in the following table.
	(1) No dismissals data are available for 1997 as the public sector Prison Service personnel recording system was not established until 1998.
	
		
			   Dismissals 
			 1998 21 
			 1999 29 
			 2000 72 
			 2001 109 
			 2002 141 
			 2003 229 
			 2004 200 
			 2005 237 
			 2006 225 
			 2007 266 
			 2008 176 
		
	
	The information includes dismissals for: inefficiency, conduct and performance reasons. Prison officer includes: prison officer, senior officer, and principal officer for the public sector prisons; and prison custody officer and senior officer for the contracted estate.
	The number of dismissals increased significantly in 2003 due to a greater number of medical inefficiency dismissals as a result of more robust management of sickness absence in the public sector Prison Service from that time. In addition to this, the Office for National Commissioning (formerly Office for Contracted Prisons) began operating in 2003 and therefore data for contracted prisons are included from this date.

Housing: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 18 June 2008,  Official Report, column 988W, on housing: valuation, if he will place in the Library a copy of the maps and boundaries of each locality within the billing authority of Bromley.
	(2)  pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1393W, on housing: valuation, for what reason the numerical co-efficient values used by the Valuation Office Agency are commercially confidential.

Stephen Timms: Valuation Office Agency (VOA) provides valuation services in competition with other providers. Publication of this information would weaken the competitive position of VOA.

Kaupthing, Singer and Friedland

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he gave to the partial or complete taking into public ownership of the UK operations of Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander.

Ian Pearson: On 8 October acting on the advice of the bank and FSA, the Chancellor acted to protect the retail depositors in Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, a UK-based banking subsidiary of Kaupthing Bank.
	The Treasury used the Banking (Special Provisions) Act 2008 to ensure a resolution that preserves financial stability and provides protection and continuity of business for depositors. KSF's Kaupthing Edge deposit business was transferred to ING Direct, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ING Group, which operates through its branch in the UK. The remainder of Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander business was put into administration.
	Any retail depositors eligible to claim under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme whose business has not been transferred to ING Direct will be paid out in full through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
	This was the right course of action to protect savers, ensure financial stability, and safeguard the interests of the taxpayer.

Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre: Children

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to make an announcement on the details of an alternative to detention for children at Dungavel.

Ann McKechin: On Thursday 23 October my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that the UK Borders Agency, working with the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council the Scottish Refugee Council and other partners, is going ahead with an alternatives to detention pilot based in Glasgow. The pilot is due to commence in early 2009 and run for an initial 18-month period, although this will kept under review when the pilot commences.

Departmental Buildings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Fareham of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 610W, on departmental buildings, whether his Department is paying empty property business rates in relation to 1A Page Street.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Department having claimed the empty property rates relief permitted by legislation, is now paying empty property business rates in respect of this vacant building.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 654-56W, on domestic waste, what advice has been given to the local authorities by  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme on how to meet the targets to reduce residual household waste.

Jane Kennedy: In order to reduce the amount of residual household waste for disposal, local authorities can promote a range of sustainable activities. These include waste prevention, encouraging re-use, home composting and increasing recycling. Local authorities are actively promoting all these options. WRAP offers a wide range of guidance and practical support to local authorities on these issues.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 401W, on the Waste and Resources Action Programme, whether the awareness programme included discussions of issues relating to  (a) alternative weekly collection,  (b) household waste collection and  (c) charging for the collection of household waste.

Jane Kennedy: The awareness programme involved meetings at which WRAP staff updated individual political stakeholders on the full range of WRAP's activities. This included the four priorities in WRAP's current business plan: food waste, packaging waste, quality of materials and providing advice to local authorities on devising effective collection schemes.

Inspections

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Animal Health Executive Agency has spent on training its inspectors in each of the last five years, broken down by training programme.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 18 November 2008
	Animal Health (AH) became an Executive Agency of DEFRA on 1 April 2005 and can only report full year spend for 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08. AH do not hold figures of training by programme; this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The overall spend figures are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 146,699 
			 2006-07 631,909 
			 2007-08 978,113 
			  Note: AH was called the 'State Veterinary Service' upon its inception on 1 April 2005 and was joined by the Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate, the Egg Marketing Inspectorate and the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service to together become 'Animal Health' on 1 April 2007.  Source: This data was sourced from the Corporate Finance and Human Resources teams, both located in Animal Health Corporate Centre at Worcester.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 401W, on waste disposal: council tax, whether the charges levied through waste incentive pilot schemes will be classified as a form of taxation for the purposes of the national statistics.

Jane Kennedy: The Office for National Statistics has responsibility for determining the classification of income for the purposes of national accounts.

Departmental Policy Priorities

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his Department's policy priorities are for 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: My Department's main objective is to support devolved government in Northern Ireland and to devolve policing and justice when requested to do so by the Assembly. The Northern Ireland Office's Strategic Objectives for the CSR2007 period are published on the NIO website.

Policing and Justice

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received on the devolution of policing and justice matters to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Shaun Woodward: Following yesterday's historic agreement between First and deputy First Minister on the devolution of policing and justice the Government continues to engage with political parties to help complete devolution in Northern Ireland.

Policing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made on the devolution of policing to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor).

Aviation: EU Action

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what plans there are for harmonising type approval of aircraft across the European Union; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the cost to the applicant to obtain type approval from the Civil Aviation Authority for a new model of aircraft for use in the UK was for each of the last 10 such approved applications; and how long the application process took to complete in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Under EC Regulation 216/2008 the type certification of the majority of aircraft manufactured or registered in EU member states is the responsibility of the European Aviation Safety Agency. This has been the position since 2003 when the agency came into being. However, certain aircraft types listed in annex II to the regulation are not covered by the agency's remit. The aviation authority of the member state in which any such aircraft is registered remains responsible for its type certification or, in the case of aircraft not eligible for a type certificate, the approval of a permit to fly. At this time there are no plans for the harmonisation for the certification requirements for these aircraft.
	The Department for Transport does not hold detailed information relating to the time taken by the CAA to process each application for a type certificate or a type approval for permits to fly nor the charges made. Such information will be available from the CAA.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the revenue from the new toll charges for the Dartford Crossing in each of the next three years; and what estimate he has made of the amount to be foregone in revenue through the discount to Dartford and Thurrock residents in each year.

Paul Clark: holding answer 18 November 2008
	 In our 2006 consultation document on the proposed new charging regime we estimated that revenues could increase by around £7 million in the first year, or around 10 per cent., though this depends how many users opt to pay by tag and therefore continue to pay £1.00 for cars. Our 2008 consultation document on the local discount scheme gave an indicative estimate that the local resident discount scheme could reduce revenues by about £2 million, depending on high levels of take-up by those eligible. On this basis the overall increase in revenues would be around £5 million per year.

Driving: Licensing

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will delay implementation of the provisions of the Second EC Driving Licence Directive until the proposed network of multi-purpose test centres has been established;
	(2)  if he will permit the on-road and off-road testing of motorcycle drivers to take place separately until the proposed network of multi-purpose test centres has been established.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The implementation of the new practical motorcycle test has been deferred until the end of March 2009 to enable the development of new solutions for providing a wider range of locations from which to offer the test.
	The Driving Standards Agency is discussing with motorcycling stakeholders a testing arrangement based on separate off and on road modules. A formal consultation will be necessary if a modular test is to be published.

Army

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the relative costs of a Gurkha infantry battalion and an English line infantry battalion in light of current policy and recent legal judgments.

Kevan Jones: The costs of a Gurkha infantry is broadly in line with that of British line infantry battalion.
	I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made on 8 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 141-42WS which explained that Gurkhas are now treated exactly the same as their UK recruited counterparts and receive the same benefits, with certain exceptions to satisfy the Nepalese Government.
	The recent legal judgments in relation to pensions and immigration have had no impact on the cost of serving Gurkhas.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (a) cards, (b) parties and (c) decorations in the last 12 months.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1322W, to the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr. Prisk) and the answers given by my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford ((Mr. Burns) on 17 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1472W and the hon. Member for Guildford (Anne Milton) on 4 February 2008,  Official Report, column 839W. Information on decorations could be answered only at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax: Fraud

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1258W, on council tax, if she will place in the Library a copy of the Audit Commission guidance to local authority fraud investigators on how to follow up potential frauds and other anomalies.

John Healey: The guidance issued by the Audit Commission on the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) is limited to how to interpret and prioritise the data matches released through NFI. The Commission does not provide guidance on the investigation of the referrals. It is the responsibility of each participating body to investigate matches, where appropriate, in line with their own policies and procedures.
	As part of its continued development programme, the Commission has introduced online training tutorials for NFI 2008-09. This training material is integrated into the NFI web application and as such cannot be provided separately. Brief guidance notes to supplement the online material will be made available before the launch of the NFI 2008-09 results on 28 January 2009. A copy of those notes will then be placed in the Library.
	Copies of the Commission's guidance material issued to participating bodies for NFI 2006-07 have been placed in the Library, although this material is now out of date.

Energy Performance Certificates

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department has made an assessment of the suitability of reduced data SAP conventions as a model for producing energy performance certificates.

Iain Wright: The Reduce Data Standard Assessment Procedure (RDSAP) was developed from the Government's Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), which apply to all new buildings, for the specific purposes of undertaking energy surveys of existing dwellings. The assessment on suitability was carried out during a three year development period which saw extensive research, analysis and testing by industry relating to the projects specific purposes, and the Building Research Establishment, before RDSAP was approved for use.

Housing: Derelict Land

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she plans to take to make brownfield sites available for housing development.

Iain Wright: Building on brownfield land is essential if we are going to develop the homes that the country needs. Communities and Local Government's policies and programmes play a key part in ensuring that this happens. Through 'Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 3: Housing', for example, local planning authorities are required to plan for the long term by identifying developable sites for housing. The policy guidance maintains a continuing focus on recycling land and retains the national target that at least 60 per cent. of new homes should be built on brownfield land. Current performance against this target is 77 per cent.
	Policy guidance is also supported by priorities given to delivery bodies, such as the new Homes and Communities Agency which will be established later this year. Sustainability, including the reuse of brownfield land, will be at the heart of its work with a priority to bring about the most effective use of land and the ability to acquire derelict land for the provision of new housing.
	Also, in March this year Government published their response to English Partnerships' recommendations for a national brownfield strategy. The strategy considers brownfield land in the widest sense including all types of development and will help site owners, developers and regulators in the process of returning brownfield land to beneficial use. Work in developing the strategy has demonstrated the importance of a joined-up approach to developing brownfield policy. CLG and DEFRA have agreed to sponsor a new national body—the National Brownfield Forum—to secure better co-ordination at national level. The forum brings together key Whitehall Departments, agencies and industry stakeholders and promotes a more cohesive and inclusive approach to brownfield policy development and encourages knowledge sharing and best practice.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 124-54W, on housing: low incomes, and with reference to the December 2004 letter to local authority directors of housing from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Divisional Head of Housing Data and Statistics, which property attributes and fields were requested by the Valuation Office Agency; and which were  (a) top priority and  (b) mandatory.

John Healey: The information requested is provided in the following list. No information was imported directly into the Valuation Office Agency's property attribute database.
	 Mandatory
	Address
	Data provider's property reference number
	Reference number of the data provider
	Report date
	Date that the data relates to
	 Top priority
	Report generator
	Valuation
	Valuation cloned or not
	Date of valuation
	Type of dwelling or other form of accommodation
	Form of structure within which the dwelling is located
	Lifts
	Year built
	Floorspace
	Number of private living rooms
	Number of bedrooms
	Number of bathrooms for exclusive use of the tenants

Housing: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1400W, on housing: valuation, how many localities have been given a name in addition to a unique reference number.

John Healey: None.

Local Government: Bank Services

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Oxford, East of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 343W, on local authorities: bank services, if she will place in the Library the advice to local authorities from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance.

John Healey: I will arrange for a copy of the advice to local authorities from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy to be placed in the Library.

Local Government: Bank Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the level of exposure of each local authority to Icelandic banks is.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 6 November, 2008  Official Report, column 724W.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1284W, on non-domestic rates: valuation, how many sub-locations there are in each billing authority area in England.

John Healey: The information requested cannot be provided without disproportionate cost.

Small Businesses: Tax Allowances

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1284W, on small business rates: tax allowances, if she will place in the Library a copy of the business rates information letter dated 19th September 2008.

John Healey: All business rates information letters are available on the Department's website at the following internet address:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/busrats1.htm
	The letter in question can be found at the following address:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/busrats/bri52008.pdf.

Valuation Office: Databases

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 684W, on Valuation Office: databases, what the 2008-09 budget for the database alignment exercise is; and whether the budget includes payments to Ordnance Survey.

John Healey: The database alignment exercise is being undertaken by Ordnance Survey. No payments are being made to Ordinance Survey for the alignment work.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has his Department has made of the level of primary care trust spending on services to reduce alcohol harm.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on national health service spend on alcohol interventions is not collected, however, in 2005 the Alcohol Needs Assessment Research Project reported that the NHS in England, in 2003-04, spent an estimated £217 million on alcohol interventions. An extra £15 million in additional funding has been included within primary care trusts (PCTs) general allocations from 2007-08 to improve alcohol interventions.
	Additionally, the National Audit Office have carried out an audit of NHS spend on alcohol interventions. Their report, "Reducing Alcohol Harm: health services in England for alcohol misuse", was published in November 2008 and found, that where primary care trust expenditure on alcohol services was known, an average of £600,000 was spent on commissioning alcohol services in 2006-07. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Public Relations

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 406-7W, on departmental public relations, which firms were employed; and what topic of work each undertook.

Ben Bradshaw: The public relations (PR) agencies which were employed through the Central Office of Information (COI) framework agreement and the topics of work were as follows:
	 2005-06
	The Forster Company - Alcohol Harm Reduction Stakeholder Engagement Programme
	Trimedia Communications - El 11 (health insurance card) PR programme
	Munro and Forster Communications - NHS Institute PR
	 2006-07
	Band and Brown Communications - PR for National Breastfeeding Awareness Week
	Trimedia Communications - Independent Reconfiguration Panel PR
	Pier 55 Ltd - NHS Business Services Authority advertorials
	 2007-08
	Band and Brown Communications - PR for National Breastfeeding Awareness Week

Health Services: Crosby

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what capital expenditure his Department has incurred on health service projects in Crosby constituency since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the total expenditure on purchased additions of fixed assets by national health service body. The Department does not hold information relating to the reasons for this expenditure, or for the geographical areas in which it is spent.
	
		
			  £000 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Sefton Primary Care Trust — — — — 886 743 
			 Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust 8,994 14,751 5,329 4,645 917 — 
			 Royal Liverpool Children's Hospitals NHS Trust 3,898 3,885 2,852 3,790 3,781 5,848 
			 Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust 4,740 20,302 18,702 13,279 6,790 6,498 
			 Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Trust 2,605 6,584 14,417 20,406 8,173 8,815 
			 Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS Trust 975 1,537 3,390 1,458 1,439 3,989 
			 Total purchased fixed assets 21,212 47,059 44,690 43,578 21,986 25,893 
			  Notes: 1. Data is not available for foundation trusts, so the information for Aintree Hospital NHS Trust only covers the period to 31 July 2006. 2. Sefton Primary Care Trust came into existence in 2006-07, so data prior to this is not available. 3. Levels of capital expenditure vary from year to year depending on local investment decisions.  Source: Audited summarisation schedules

Health Services: Crosby

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes there were in Crosby constituency in 1997; and how many there have been in 2008 to date.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows finished consultant episodes (FCEs) at the Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sefton primary care trust (PCT), and the former Southport and Formby and South Sefton PCTs.
	
		
			PCT of responsibility 
			   Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a provider  Sefton PCT  Southport and Formby PCT  South Sefton PCT 
			 2006-07 100,008 95,548 — — 
			 2005-06 97,945 — 28,118 56,691 
			 2004-05 91,900 — 25,360 53,478 
			 2003-04 86,747 — 26,363 52,619 
			 2002-03 78,117 — 26,613 47,269 
			 2001-02 74,542 — — — 
			 2000-01 78,248 — — — 
			 1999-2000 74,910 — — — 
			 1998-99 73,596 — — — 
			 1997-98 80,535 — — — 
			  Notes: 1. The Southport and Formby PCT and the South Sefton PCTs merged in 2006-07 to create the Sefton PCT—these two PCTs can be added together to compare with 2006-07. 2. As a result of the merger of the Southport and Formby PCT and the South Sefton PCT, figures are provided for these PCTs from 2002-03 to 2005-06. A complex merger occurred prior to 2002-03 and it is not possible to trace which trusts should be included in order to get an accurate comparable figure. 3. Ungrossed data—figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data. 4. A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which the FCE finishes. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. 5. It is also important that the PCT and trust figures are not added together, as the same FCEs may be counted under both organisations. This is because the trust data looks at activity provided by the trust, whereas the PCT activity looks at activity commissioned by the PCT (which may then be provided at Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust). 6. Data Quality—HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. Data is also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the Information Centre for health and social care.

Incontinence: Medical Equipment

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will meet representatives of the User Group Coalition to discuss the revised proposals on Part IX of the Drug Tariff; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: In conducting the review of arrangements under part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and urology appliances—and related services—in primary care—departmental officials have sought the views on wide range of interested parties, including patient representatives. The User Coalition Group has met with officials—as have individual members of the group. Unfortunately, due to diary commitments I am unable to meet the group. However, I have asked departmental officials to contact the chair of the group to organise a meeting.

Medical Treatments

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which interventions  (a) have been and  (b) are being assessed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) through its (i) Single Technology Appraisal and (ii) Multiple Technology Appraisal processes; for which indications each treatment has been assessed; what estimate has been made of the annual eligible patient population for each treatment; and in respect of each treatment on which date (A) the treatment received its product licence, (B) the treatment was referred to NICE, (C) NICE began its appraisal and (D) NICE plans to complete its appraisal.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 370-76W, showing the information requested on the timings of single technology appraisals published and in development by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Information on appraisals conducted through NICE'S multiple technology appraisal programme and information on the estimated eligible annual population for all appraisals could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Methadone

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were prescribed methadone in  (a) the Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust area and  (b) Stroud constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not hold information on the number of patients treated with a particular drug. However we are able to provide two related sources of data covering the Gloucestershire and Stroud areas. These are the number of methadone prescriptions and the number of people receiving specialist prescribing treatment for drug misuse.
	The number of items prescribed and dispensed for methadone is in the following table. This information covers the last 60 months and is based on the primary care trust (PCT) that most closely represents the area requested.
	 Note:
	Methadone can be used to treat more than one condition—it is licensed for use in opioid dependence, as an analgesic and as a cough suppressant.
	
		
			  Number of prescription items (not individuals receiving prescriptions) of methadone 
			  Financial year  Gloucestershire PCT( 1) 
			 2007-08 5,995 
			 2006-07 5,559 
			 2005-06 3,990 
			 2004-05 3,046 
			 (1) Due to changes in PCT configuration Gloucestershire PCT comprised of the following PCTs, pre 2006 changes: Cheltenham and Tewkesbury PCT Cotswold and Vale PCT West Gloucestershire PCT 
		
	
	The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse's (NTA) National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) collects data on people in drug treatment in England.
	NDTMS records numbers of people receiving specialist prescribing for drug treatment rather than the type of drug which is prescribed. Most of those in treatment receive oral methadone, but buprenorphine or other substitute opioids may also be prescribed.
	The NDTMS only records data based on local authority boundaries, and only since 2004-05. The NDTMS does not break down data specifically for Stroud.
	Data for the number of people receiving prescribing treatment in the Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust area, for each of the years since 2004-05 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of individual receiving prescribing treating (including methadone) for drug misuse 
			   Number 
			 2004-05 865 
			 2005-06 1,314 
			 2006-07 1,358 
			 2007-08 1,467

NHS: Consultants

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to the analysis of consultants' NHS and private incomes funded by his Department what permission was sought from consultants to use this data; in what ways the data was anonymised; and how much the study cost;
	(2)  with reference to the analysis of consultants' NHS and private incomes funded by his Department, what the  (a) total income,  (b) private income and  (c) NHS income was of NHS consultants in the period analysed, broken down by (i) place of work and (ii) place of NHS employment;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of HM Revenue and Customs correspondence files relating to securing access to the tax return database to complete the analysis of consultants NHS and private incomes undertaken by his Department;
	(4)  in which regions those consultants funded by his Department and included in its analysis of consultant NHS and private income worked; and what other studies involving interrogation of consultants' and future consultants' tax returns he has commissioned in the last 11 years.

Ann Keen: The following table gives national health service consultants' average total income, average private income and average NHS income for 2003-04.
	The information is presented by pre-2006 strategic health authority (SHA).
	Information by place of work and place of NHS employment is not available.
	
		
			  Consultant earnings 2003-04 
			  SHA  Average total income  (£)  Average NHS income  (£)  Average private income  (£)  Number of c onsultants in sample 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 131,659 75,630 56,030 1,297 
			 Essex 131,226 75,005 56,221 552 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 124,735 73,772 50,963 614 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 119,291 71,384 47,907 610 
			 North West London 118,843 73,021 45,822 1,028 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 116,901 72,290 44,611 1,308 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 118,096 74,880 43,216 545 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 119,013 75,464 43,549 793 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 109,788 70,302 39,486 912 
			 Dorset and Somerset 114,396 75,543 38,853 505 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 110,446 75,929 34,517 637 
			 Thames Valley 106,074 72,987 33,087 953 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 106,641 74,195 32,446 964 
			 South East London 106,266 74,400 31,866 995 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 110,989 78,331 32,658 617 
			 South West Peninsula 102,429 73,827 28,602 757 
			 North East London 111,569 81,749 29,820 711 
			 West Midlands South 105,397 77,413 27,984 680 
			 North Central London 106,003 77,863 28,140 1,044 
			 Surrey and Sussex 103,711 77,426 26,285 1,172 
			 Kent and Medway 106,769 80,011 26,758 583 
			 West Yorkshire 102,264 77,290 24,974 1,156 
			 South West London 98,580 74,665 23,915 704 
			 Trent 104,591 81,995 22,596 1,082 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 102,154 81,050 21,104 818 
			 Greater Manchester 102,399 81,801 20,598 1,468 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 102,254 81,694 20,560 1,093 
			 South Yorkshire 101,578 81,400 20,178 809 
			  Notes: 1. Source: The Table is taken from the article: "Analysis of consultants' NHS and private income in England 2003-04"—Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 2008. 2. The income variables used were from employment income (assumed to be NHS income) and self-employment income (assumed to be income from private medical practice). 
		
	
	The table also shows the regions in which these consultants worked.
	In summer 2006, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) statisticians created an anonymised statistical dataset for research into the staff market forces factor (MFF) used in NHS resource allocation. The dataset was created by linking selected variables supplied by NHS Information Centre for health and social care from the 2003 NHS Medical and Dental Workforce Census with three income variables derived from HMRC records: total employment income, total self-employment income and the sum of these two variables. Any variables used to link the data were removed prior to access by the academic researcher contracted by Department. This deliberately partial data set contained only the information required by the researcher to carry out the statistical (regression) analysis used in the review of the MFF.
	The researcher had access to only this anonymised, statistical dataset. The statistical analyses were undertaken on HMRC premises. Having signed appropriate confidentiality undertakings, the researcher was allowed supervised access to the dataset in an isolated environment with no connection to either HMRC networks and administrative data systems or to external sites via internet or e-mail. HMRC reviewed all statistical output compiled by the researcher and released only aggregate non-disclosive summaries. No outputs based on single or small number of records were released. The smallest sample count in the published report was 30. This is well within the guidelines for dissemination of statistics in National Statistics protocols. The researcher was not allowed to return to the data set once the agreed analysis had been completed.
	As will be clear from the table, it was impossible to link records in the statistical dataset with any data relating to an identifiable individual, so no permission was sought from NHS consultants for this research to take place.
	The total cost of the contract for research into the staff MFF was £75,000. The analysis of private sector earnings of NHS consultants was a relatively small, but influential part of the review of the MFF. The final research report on the review of the staff MFF will be made available on the Department of Health website alongside the PCT revenue allocations, to be announced at the time of the Operating Framework for the NHS later this year.
	The correspondence files relating to securing access to the tax return data base do not exist, since no one was given access to a data base of tax returns. The process that was followed to give access to an anonymised data set is as described.
	In the last 11 years, HMRC has conducted surveys into consultants' earnings on behalf of the Department of Health for tax years 1998-99 to 2004-05 inclusive, using data from HMRC records. No outputs from this work have been provided to non-HM Revenue and Customs personnel in either pseudo-anonymised or non-anonymised form. HMRC released only anonymised outputs to the Department of Health or to the NHS Information Centre for health and Social care.
	In addition, at the request of the Department for 2003-04 only, HMRC created an anonymised statistical dataset relating to consultants' earnings. It contained only the pre-arranged data items for a sample of 24,407 cases that were necessary to enable researchers acting on behalf of the Department of Health to undertake statistical analysis. The researchers were allowed supervised access to the dataset on HMRC premises. HMRC reviewed the outputs from the statistical analysis to ensure that only non-disclosive summary and aggregate statistics were complied and used in the report.

NHS: Drugs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to paragraph 5.12 of the report to his Department on Improving Access to NHS Medicines by Professor Mike Richards CBE, how his Department plans to encourage primary care trusts to work together to make proactive commissioning decisions.

Ben Bradshaw: On 4 November, the Secretary of State accepted this recommendation and the national health service chief executive wrote to all strategic health authority (SHA) chief executives to ask them to review, by April 2009, the way in which primary care trusts in their area collaborate to support effective decision-making on new drugs.
	All SHAs are now taking forward this piece of work in their local areas.

NHS: Drugs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to implement Recommendation 3 of Improving Access to Medicines for NHS patients.

Ben Bradshaw: We will publish in the new year a set of core principles to inform the way in which primary care trusts make decisions about funding new drugs, followed by detailed good practice guidance for the national health service.

NHS: Drugs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what timetable he has set for implementing Recommendation 6 of Improving access to medicines for NHS patients; whether he plans to publish the results of the work; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Secretary of State has asked Professor Mike Richards to take forward this piece of work, with a view to making the results public at the end of 2009.

Patient Choice Schemes

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what proportion of appointments booked via the NHS Direct National Choose and Book appointments line a hardcopy confirmation of the booking was posted to the patient within two days in each of the last 36 months.

Ben Bradshaw: The NHS Direct choose and book appointments line are not responsible for posting a hardcopy confirmation of a patient's booking. Details of a patient's appointment are conveyed over the telephone when patients choose to book their appointment in this way, with clinical details about a patient's appointment sent by the provider of their choice who in most cases will send the patient a hard copy confirmation of their booking.

Sight Impaired

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered blind people there are, broken down by  (a) region and  (b) constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: Data on the number of registered blind and partially sighted people are not collected centrally by constituency but is available for councils with adult social services responsibilities and Government office regions.
	Information collected 31 March 2008, shows that 153,000 people were on the register of blind people, a slight increase of around 500 (0.3 per cent.) from March 2006 although there were 10,200 new registrations to the register of blind people, a fall of 5 per cent. compared to 2006.
	The following table shows the number of blind and partially sighted people registered with councils with adult social services responsibilities in England.
	
		
			  Number of blind and partially sighted people registered with councils with adult social services responsibilities in England as at 31 March 2008 
			  Rounded numbers 
			   Total number of people (all ages) registered as: 
			   Blind  Partially sighted 
			  England 152,980 156,285 
			
			  North East 6,785 8,310 
			 Durham 1,475 1,805 
			 Northumberland 720 840 
			 Darlington 250 320 
			 Hartlepool 220 190 
			 Middlesbrough 290 475 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 250 460 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 365 530 
			 Gateshead 505 710 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 810 840 
			 North Tyneside 635 675 
			 South Tyneside 450 480 
			 Sunderland 805 990 
			
			  North West 22,550 24,675 
			 Cheshire 1,995 2,000 
			 Cumbria 1,350 1,555 
			 Lancashire 3,540 4,540 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 530 835 
			 Blackpool 565 870 
			 Halton 255 360 
			 Warrington 435 580 
			 Bolton 750 1,020 
			 Bury 865 750 
			 Knowsley 455 560 
			 Liverpool 1,195 1,120 
			 Manchester 1,890 1,770 
			 Oldham 870 775 
			 Rochdale 1,525 835 
			 Salford 1,025 1,065 
			 Sefton 1,025 975 
			 St Helens 335 565 
			 Stockport 620 885 
			 Tameside 665 580 
			 Trafford 825 725 
			 Wigan 675 1,005 
			 Wirral 1,155 1,320 
			
			  Yorkshire  and  the Humber 17,150 17,935 
			 North Yorkshire 1,780 1,905 
			 East Riding 1,055 1,125 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 735 705 
			 NE Lincolnshire 425 355 
			 North Lincolnshire 600 385 
			 York 430 555 
			 Barnsley 1,810 1,220 
			 Bradford 1,670 1,725 
			 Calderdale 480 465 
			 Doncaster 760 1,225 
			 Kirklees 785 670 
			 Leeds 2,780 2,460 
			 Rotherham 860 1,360 
			 Sheffield 1,730 1,890 
			 Wakefield 1,250 1,895 
			
			  East Midlands 13,120 14,700 
			 Derbyshire 3,040 3,070 
			 Leicestershire 1,520 1,980 
			 Lincolnshire 1,990 2,450 
			 Northamptonshire 1,705 1,285 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,830 2,820 
			 Derby 995 590 
			 Leicester 1,035 1,135 
			 Nottingham 915 1265 
			 Rutland 85 100 
			
			  West Midlands 15,975 16,215 
			 Shropshire 695 650 
			 Staffordshire 2,085 1,930 
			 Warwickshire 1,335 1,600 
			 Worcestershire 1,125 1,205 
			 Herefordshire 780 1,385 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 750 640 
			 Telford and Wrekin 305 390 
			 Birmingham 4,690 3,965 
			 Coventry 665 805 
			 Dudley 800 810 
			 Sandwell 850 805 
			 Solihull 510 420 
			 Walsall 700 825 
			 Wolverhampton 690 785 
			
			  South West 15,145 14,855 
			 Cornwall 1,700 1,760 
			 Devon 2,075 2,080 
			 Dorset 1,260 1,365 
			 Gloucestershire 1,530 1,885 
			 Isles of Scilly — 10 
			 Somerset 1,560 1,275 
			 Wiltshire 1,455 1,285 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 540 535 
			 Bournemouth 845 670 
			 Bristol 930 1,025 
			 North Somerset 670 635 
			 Plymouth 640 570 
			 Poole 645 635 
			 South Gloucestershire 505 385 
			 Swindon 305 285 
			 Torbay 480 460 
			
			  Eastern 15,110 14,740 
			 Bedfordshire 665 680 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,595 1,105 
			 Essex 3,215 3,485 
			 Hertfordshire 3,100 3,055 
			 Norfolk 2,600 2,330 
			 Suffolk 2,210 2,185 
			 Luton 555 430 
			 Peterborough 500 480 
			 Southend 440 670 
			 Thurrock 225 320 
			
			  London 21,650 17,665 
			 Camden 665 640 
			 Greenwich 465 600 
			 Hackney 590 450 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 520 330 
			 Islington 680 600 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 585 355 
			 Lambeth 840 160 
			 Lewisham 660 450 
			 Southwark 750 520 
			 Tower Hamlets 395 430 
			 Wandsworth 785 630 
			 Westminster 810 540 
			 City of London 10 20 
			 Barking and Dagenham 345 395 
			 Barnet 950 905 
			 Bexley 390 450 
			 Brent 1,380 935 
			 Bromley 955 1,020 
			 Croydon 955 745 
			 Ealing 970 650 
			 Enfield 565 500 
			 Haringey 915 685 
			 Harrow 630 530 
			 Havering 365 510 
			 Hillingdon 645 730 
			 Hounslow 750 710 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 345 260 
			 Merton 590 515 
			 Newham 965 610 
			 Redbridge 915 830 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 370 270 
			 Sutton 595 535 
			 Waltham Forest 305 160 
			
			  South East 25,495 27,190 
			 Buckinghamshire 980 1,105 
			 East Sussex 2,365 2,280 
			 Hampshire 3,340 4,730 
			 Kent 4,955 6,410 
			 Oxfordshire 2,105 1,820 
			 Surrey 2,455 1,840 
			 West Sussex 4,000 3,945 
			 Bracknell Forest 215 180 
			 Brighton and Hove 900 645 
			 Isle of Wight 365 470 
			 Medway Towns 405 545 
			 Milton Keynes 555 445 
			 Portsmouth 505 430 
			 Reading 480 490 
			 Slough 285 205 
			 Southampton 605 690 
			 West Berkshire 325 370 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 370 320 
			 Wokingham 285 270 
			  Notes:  1. '—' = 6 or less (or less than 50 for national and regional totals) 2. Figures may not add up because of rounding.  Source: National figures are actual figures from 150 SSDA902 forms.

Sugar

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the health effects of a significant reduction in the sugar content of soft drinks.

Dawn Primarolo: Current United Kingdom dietary recommendations for maximal levels of sugar intake are based on a review of the evidence carried out by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) in 1991, and are in line with a more recent review by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2003. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, who now advises the Government on nutrition issues, are about to embark on a review of the evidence on carbohydrates and health, including sugars and sources of sugar. As a result, dietary advice and any recommendations on specific foods will be amended accordingly.

Surgery

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the average  (a) length of hospital stay of an invasive surgery patient and  (b) cost per day for an invasive surgery patient to stay in hospital in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: It is not possible to provide an estimate of the average cost per day, as the data collected as part of the annual NHS reference cost collection includes all costs associated with treatment and service provision, and not just the cost of the stay in hospital.
	It is not possible to provide an estimate of the average length of stay, as specific data relating to the average length of stay for invasive surgery patients is not collected centrally.

Wines: Hazardous Substances

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what checks are in place to ensure that wine sold in the UK does not contain harmful levels of metals such as lead, zinc and copper; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Food Authorities and the Food Standards Agency wine standards inspectors as part of their routine enforcement work carry out checks including sampling on wine sold within the United Kingdom to ensure that the wine complies with relevant wine-sector and food safety legislations.

BT: Public Telephones

James Gray: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations he has received on BT's public service obligation on the provision of public pay phones.

Ian Pearson: BERR officials have received correspondence from a number of local authorities on BT's national rationalisation programme. Under Office of Communications (Ofcom) guidelines, unitary authority consent is required before BT can remove a payphone where there is a not another payphone located within 400 m and BT has therefore been consulting with local authorities across England, Wales and Scotland on proposals to remove low-usage payphones in their area. Ofcom is aware of BT's plans and BT are adhering to its guidelines for payphone removals. Further details on Ofcom's guidelines is available from their website at:
	http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/uso/uso_statement/uso_plain_english/

Postal Services: Liverpool

Louise Ellman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his assessment is of the impact of Royal Mail's proposal to close the sorting office at Copperan Hill, Liverpool on employment in the city; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: Decisions relating to operational matters, which include decisions on the restructuring of Royal Mail's sorting office operations, are the direct responsibility of the company's management.
	Given that volumes of mail are falling due to the upsurge in the use of digital media for communications, it is important that Royal Mail structures its operations as efficiently as possible so that it can compete in a liberalised market, while continuing to maintain the universal postal service at affordable prices.

Council Tax

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received council tax benefit in  (a) North Yorkshire and  (b) the Vale of York constituency in each year since 1997.

Kitty Ussher: Information is not available at parliamentary constituency level. Information is available for North Yorkshire for benefit units comprising single people and couples.
	The following table provides the number of benefit units receiving council tax benefit in each year since 1997.
	
		
			  North Yorkshire 
			   Number 
			 1997 35,330 
			 1998 32,940 
			 1999 32,900 
			 2000 30,890 
			 2001 30,980 
			 2002 30,070 
			 2003 30,260 
			 2004 33,280 
			 2005 33,830 
			 2006 35,160 
			 2007 35,440 
			  Notes: 1. Data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 4. Council tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases.  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. case load stock-count taken in May 1997 to May 2007. 
		
	
	Jobseeker's allowance (income-based) are published in the report "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2006-07". Estimates of the number of people eligible for the additional amount for carers in pension credit are not available.
	The number of people in receipt of pension credit and carer's allowance over the last five years is shown in table 1 and all pension credit expenditure on recipients entitled to the extra amount for carers is shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1: Pension credit and carer's allowance 
			Pension credit 
			  As at February each year  Carer's allowance  Total pension credit recipients  Recipients with the additional amount for caring 
			 2004 656,310 2,282,300 95,200 
			 2005 721,610 2,654,670 153,810 
			 2006 777,910 2,709,220 187,830 
			 2007 823,820 2,730,940 215,050 
			 2008 872,080 2,723,140 237,700 
			  Notes: 1. Carer's allowance figures include those people who are entitled to carer's allowance but who do not receive a payment as a result of the overlapping benefit rules. 2. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Pension credit recipients are people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 4. From February 2005, estimates are derived from Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data. Prior to this, information on receipt of carer's addition in pension credit is not available from the same source, so estimates are derived from 5 per cent. Sample data.  Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Pension credit expenditure 
			  £ million 
			   Expenditure in cash terms  Expenditure in 2008-09 prices 
			 2003-04(1) 143 164 
			 2004-05 447 500 
			 2005-06 593 649 
			 2006-07 717 762 
			 2007-08 856 881 
			 (1) Part year.  Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data, 5 per cent. sample data and DWP accounting systems.

Departmental Buildings

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 59W, on departmental buildings, what the cost of each refurbishment was.

Jonathan R Shaw: Details of the costs associated with all completed refurbishments, as provided in the reply of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 59W, will be placed in the Library.

Disability Living Allowance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who received  (a) disability living allowance higher rate mobility component and  (b) war pensioners' mobility component in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many vehicle excise duty exemptions were made for each group.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the  Official Report. The answer is as follows:
	At November 2007, 1,719,920 people were in receipt of the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance. Information about the number of vehicle excise duty exemption certificates issued by this Department for people in this group could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information about the war pensioners' mobility component is for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence.

Incapacity Benefit

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the financial effects of the introduction of employment and support allowance on couples in the support group during the course of their claim, compared to the rates of payment of incapacity benefit; and whether these effects will apply to couples where one or both are claiming on the grounds of a terminal illness.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the  Official Report. The answer is as follows:
	Employment and support allowance will replace incapacity benefit and income support paid on grounds of incapacity from 27 October 2008. Compared to the existing system, couples in the support group who would have had no entitlement to the enhanced disability premium, will receive £10.30 a week more under employment support allowance than income support paid on grounds of incapacity. Those who would have been entitled to the couple rate of income support and also already entitled to the enhanced disability premium would receive £7.85 a week less. There are no actual cash losers as existing customers will have the cash level of their existing benefits protected.
	Employment and support allowance rates are paid after 14 weeks of the claim whereas the higher income support rates are generally paid after 52 weeks of incapacity or 28 weeks for those who are terminally ill or receive the higher rate care component of disability living allowance. In employment and support allowance the higher rates of benefit are paid immediately to people who are terminally ill.

Pension Credit: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Enfield North constituency received pension credits in each year since 2003.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of household recipients and individual beneficiaries of pension credit in Enfield, North ,  2003-08 
			   Household recipients  Individual beneficiaries 
			 November 2003 3,240 3,930 
			 May 2004 3,620 4,430 
			 May 2005 3,960 4,870 
			 May 2006 4,050 5,010 
			 May 2007 4,090 5,030 
			 May 2008 4,120 5,050 
			  Notes: 1. Case loads are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 3. Individual beneficiaries includes both claimants and their partners.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data

Poverty: Pensioners

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners are living in absolute poverty in Crosby constituency; and how many did so in 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are any possible measures of poverty.
	Our Public Service Agreement "Tackle poverty and promote greater independence and wellbeing in later life" includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are relative low income (below 50 and 60 per cent. contemporary median household income), and absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices), all measured after housing costs have been taken into account.
	The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below the level of Government Office Region. Information for the north west on the numbers of pensioners below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of pensioners below 60 per cent. of the 1998-99 median household income uprated in line with prices after housing costs, North West 
			   Number (million) 
			 1997-98 to 1999-2000 0.3 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.1 
			  Notes: 1. Three survey year averages are given as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 2. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 3. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 4. Figures are based on survey data and as such are subject to a degree of sampling and non-sampling error. 5. Numbers of pensioners in low income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 pensioners.

Social Security Benefits

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of the Work-Focused Health Related Assessment questionnaire which claimants of employment and support allowance will be required to complete from October 2008.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The following answer was provided to the hon. Member on 17 September 2008, however, due to a procedural error it was not published in the  Official Report. The answer is as follows:
	Claimants of employment and support allowance will not be required to fill in a questionnaire in relation to the Work Focussed Health Related Assessment. The Work Focussed Health Related Assessment is a discussion between the customer and the health care professional carrying out the work capability assessment. Health professionals will use an aide-mémoire for this discussion, and a copy has been placed in the Library.
	The purpose of the Work Focussed Health Related Assessment is to explore with customers their aspirations for engaging in or returning to work, and their views of the help that would support them getting back to work. It will also offer advice about health related interventions that will support a return to work. After the Work Focussed Health Related Assessment the health care professional will complete a report and send a copy of that report to the customer.

State Retirement Pension

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many individuals have deferred their state pension in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many individuals deferred their state pensions in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available. Information available on the number of people who have received a deferral reward, and the type of reward received, is in the following table. Figures for 1997 to 1999 are not available.
	
		
			  12 months to March each year :  Total number of customers who received a deferral reward  Number receiving increments only  Number receiving increments and lump sum  Number receiving lump sum only 
			 2008 41,100 23,800 5,400 11,800 
			 2007 35,800 28,500 3,500 3,800 
			 2006 44,100 44,100 0 0 
			 2005 43,300 43,300 0 0 
			 2004 41,200 41,200 0 0 
			 2003 38,400 38,400 0 0 
			 2002 43,000 43,000 0 0 
			 2001 44,000 44,000 0 0 
			 2000(1) 25,600 25,600 0 0 
			 (1) Figures for 2000 are for six months to March only  Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100 and may not sum due to rounding. 2. Numbers are based on a 5 per cent. sample rated in line with the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) total caseload, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 3. New rules for deferral came into effect in April 2005 and lump payments became available from April 2006. This data was not available on the datasets until September 2006. A person who deferred their state pension before April 2005 would qualify for increments for the period up to April 2005 and may have a choice of either a lump sum payment or an increment for the period of deferral from April 2005. This means some people may have both an increment and a lump sum payment. 4. The number receiving a 'deferral reward' is the number of people with a lump sum or increments for the latest data and the number of people with increments for the data prior to September 2006. (This does not include inherited increments from a late spouse.) 5. Data regarding increments prior to September 1999 is not sufficiently robust to be released.  Source: Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample

Dungavel Detention Centre

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of detention period in Dungavel Detention Centre of  (a) a family and  (b) an individual, aged (i) under 18, (ii) under 16 and (iii) under 10 years old in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 3 November 2008
	 The average length of detention for a family in Dungavel House has remained at three days for 2006, 2007 and up until September for 2008.
	The average length of detention for single detainees was 17 days in 2006, 23 days in 2007 and 27 days up until September 2008.
	We do not have the data available in relation to age groups and to provide this would be at disproportionate cost.

Electronic Surveillance: Databases

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1251W, on electronic surveillance: databases, whether local authorities will have access to mobile telephone geodata.

Vernon Coaker: No. Directive 2006/24/EC will not change the kinds of data that local authorities are permitted to access under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Electronic Surveillance: Databases

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1251W, on electronic surveillance: databases, whether local authorities will have access to communications data retained by internet service providers.

Vernon Coaker: Local authority access to communications data retained by internet service providers will be on the same basis as their access to communications data retained by any other communications service provider. That is they will continue under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 to have access to service use and subscriber data, but not traffic data, the class of communications data that would indicate specific areas of internet interest or activity.

Fingerprints

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of whether handheld fingerprint devices are used in a consistent manner by rural and urban police forces.

Vernon Coaker: The use of handheld fingerprint devices is a matter for the chief constable of each police force and for the present time requires consent from the individual being sampled. Available data suggests that there is no difference in the use of the devices between police forces, given the nature of the deployment that it is supporting.
	The use of the handheld fingerprint capability will form part of the stop and search/stop and account processes. As such, data on its use will be captured and reported on as part of the overall data submitted by police forces to the Home Office on these activities.

Identity Cards

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what proportion of respondents to each of the waves of the National Identity Scheme Tracking Research carried out to date said that they did not support the scheme because they were concerned that  (a) it would be an infringement of personal freedom,  (b) it would not work,  (c) it is a waste of money,  (d) personal data will be used without their permission and  (e) it could be open to abuse;
	(2)  what proportion of respondents to each of the waves of the National Identity Scheme Tracking Research carried out to date said they  (a) agreed strongly or slightly and  (b) disagreed strongly or slightly with the Government's plan to introduce the National Identity Scheme;
	(3)  when the next wave of National Identity Scheme Tracking Research will be carried out; and when he-she expects the results of this research to be published.

Jacqui Smith: The findings of the National Identity Scheme Tracking Research can be found on the Identity and Passport Service website at:
	http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/publications-research.asp
	I would refer the hon. Member to that website.
	The next wave of tracking research was being carried out at the end of October, the results of which will be published in December 2008.

Identity Cards: Foreigners

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the  (a) effectiveness of the technology to be used from 25 November to obtain biometric fingerprints from juvenile foreign nationals over the age of six for the Identity Cards Scheme for Foreign Nationals and  (b) merits of obtaining biometric fingerprints from juvenile foreign nationals over the age of six; what advice she has received on the psychological effect of collecting biometric identifiers from juveniles over the age of six; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The UKBA has many years of experience of taking fingerprints from children aged five and upwards without difficulty. For example, we issued 39,401 application registration cards (ARC) to children aged from five to 16 from 2002 to 2006, and we collected biometric data as part of the visa application process between September 2006 and the end of April 2007 from 5,679 children aged from five to 16.
	The benefits of taking children's fingerprints are wide-ranging from providing a more secure and reliable documentary evidence of a child's immigration status and identity to helping abate child trafficking, and fraudulent claims for public funds. In addition, it will allow the UK to comply with EU regulation 380/2008 (section 4b) which lays down a uniform format for residence permits for third country nationals.
	When evaluating the pilot scheme for the identity cards for foreign nationals, children followed the same quick easy and clean process that they saw their parent follow and there was no evidence to suggest that children were adversely affected by the process. To date, we have successfully enrolled the biometrics of over 13,000 people.

Police Cautions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) cautions,  (b) on-the-spot fines and  (c) formal warnings were issued by each police force in each of the last 10 years.

Alan Campbell: Information provided by the Ministry of Justice showing the number of offenders cautioned is given in table 1. The number of penalty notices for disorder (on-the-spot fines) issued from 2004 (commencement of the scheme) to 2006 is given in table 2. Data for 2007 in relation to both cautions and penalty notices for disorder are due to be published at the end of November 2008.
	Police forces can also issue 'on the spot fines' or fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for various motoring offences. Information on the number of FPNs issued, broken down by police force area for the years 1997 to 2007 are published in table 20(a) of the Home Office publication 'Offences Relating to Motor Vehicles'. Copies are available in the House Library.
	The only formal warning statistics that are collected centrally are cannabis warnings. Police forces have been able to issue a formal warning for possession of cannabis, known as a cannabis warning, since 1 April 2004. The available data are given in table 3. Figures for 2004-05 cannot be shown at the police force area level. For this period, there were an estimated 39,256 cannabis warnings in England and Wales.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of offenders cautioned( 1) , by police force area, England and Wales 1997 to 2006( 2,3) 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 3,773 4,534 5,197 4,764 4,351 4,286 4,615 5,075 6,107 8,332 
			 Bedfordshire 2,940 2,789 2,833 2,265 3,112 2,628 2,827 3,080 3,455 3,539 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,477 2,621 2,569 2,308 2,207 2.114 2,063 2,618 3,985 4,233 
			 Cheshire 4,048 4,587 3,592 3,111 2,780 2,085 3,051 3,268 4,572 5,318 
			 City of London 1,146 751 709 559 902 1,083 974 605 807 850 
			 Cleveland 7,242 5,583 4,321 3,267 3,087 3,020 3,256 3,490 3,617 5,672 
			 Cumbria 2,902 3,015 3,032 2,337 2,505 2,392 2,615 2,753 2,652 2,956 
			 Derbyshire 3,832 3,532 3,301 2,917 3,161 2,732 2,794 3,371 4,644 4,874 
			 Devon and Cornwall 8,042 7,047 7,226 7,283 7,177 7,224 7,870 6,951 7,175 8,905 
			 Dorset 964 1,741 1,787 1,926 1,787 1,709 1,789 3,114 3,115 4,024 
			 Durham 2,014 2,089 2,393 2,349 2,424 2,681 2,628 2,160 3,137 4,330 
			 Essex 6,717 6,064 5,296 4,690 4,640 4,330 4,277 4,799 7,530 11,763 
			 Gloucestershire 2,331 2,897 2,754 2,848 2,828 2,815 2,590 2,696 3,822 3,553 
			 Greater Manchester 16,297 19,716 16,142 12,389 11,181 9,774 11,063 12,778 13,184 13,820 
			 Hampshire 7,592 6,424 7,478 7,014 7,436 6,765 7,587 8,747 9,180 8,962 
			 Hertfordshire 3,057 2,867 2,779 3,182 3,237 3,096 3,378 3,826 4,006 6,379 
			 Humberside 3,968 4,509 3,756 3,533 3,250 2,632 2,874 4,118 5,386 5,863 
			 Kent 7,129 8,570 8,533 7,655 7,339 6,479 8,252 10,013 10,166 11,541 
			 Lancashire 9,333 8,909 7,355 6,777 7,189 6,515 8,205 10,229 10,345 13,212 
			 Leicestershire 3,155 3,409 3,202 2,512 2,149 804 2,564 3,898 5,029 6,045 
			 Lincolnshire 2,566 2,425 1,957 1,440 1,799 2,101 2,063 2,177 3,672 4,264 
			 Merseyside 13,763 14,205 12,159 8,216 6,142 6,331 6,165 6,388 3,785 4,030 
			 Metropolitan Police 53,632 57,969 46,239 36,758 31,337 32,088 31,324 31,833 35,152 43,844 
			 Norfolk 4,460 3,345 2,809 2,773 2,302 2,345 2,314 2,774 3,013 4,471 
			 North Yorkshire 1,852 2,238 2,531 2,461 2,590 2,646 2,722 2,740 2,405 2,337 
			 Northamptonshire 2,352 3,176 3,021 3,431 3,679 3,560 2,716 2,591 3,237 4,714 
			 Northumbria 17,586 14,620 14,505 14,165 14,065 15,694 16,779 16,246 16,628 16,389 
			 Nottinghamshire 5,966 5,808 5,323 5,142 5,118 3,862 4,814 4,868 7,640 9,872 
			 South Yorkshire 4,965 5,306 6,217 3,950 4,304 4,102 4,839 4,891 9,506 12,344 
			 Staffordshire 5,905 4,958 4,105 5,628 5,455 6,124 5,585 4,616 6,496 8,098 
			 Suffolk 3,188 3,345 2,695 3,201 3,459 3,336 3,636 3,484 3,670 4,093 
			 Surrey 2,861 3,514 3,914 3,213 4,097 3,675 4,793 5,435 5,654 5,265 
			 Sussex 6,640 5,762 6,393 6,670 7,666 8,151 8,162 8,709 9,146 9,327 
			 Thames Valley 3,705 3,209 4,626 6,790 5,157 6,149 6,534 8,243 13,337 13,410 
			 Warwickshire 2,160 2,143 2,061 1,785 2,161 2,024 2,277 1,936 2,920 3,610 
			 West Mercia 5,866 5,836 5,297 5,380 6,385 6,357 6,251 6,658 7,747 8,110 
			 West Midlands 15,836 17,093 17,138 15,575 14,517 15,078 15,143 13,751 17,706 20,774 
			 West Yorkshire 8,875 9,676 9,923 9,633 9,071 10,073 11,277 14,959 17,904 20,314 
			 Wiltshire 2,575 2,497 2,678 2,853 2,115 1,695 2,347 1,985 2,046 2,081 
			
			  England 263,712 268,779 247,846 222,750 214,161 210,555 225,013 241,873 283,578 331,518 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys 3,109 3,452 3,313 3,185 3,495 3,761 4,491 3,170 3,973 5,179 
			 Gwent 5,329 5,780 5,502 4,529 4,258 3,803 3,666 1,456 2,553 5,649 
			 North Wales 3,074 3,544 3,619 3,124 3,120 3,559 3,299 3,237 2,706 2,842 
			 South Wales 6,869 6,339 5,852 5,399 4,826 3,680 5,337 6,032 6,135 4,789 
			
			  Wales 18,381 19,115 18,286 16,237 15,699 14,803 16,793 13,895 15,367 18,459 
			
			  Total England and Wales 282,093 287,894 266,132 238,987 229,860 225,358 241,806 255,768 298,945 349,977 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (2) Every effort Is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their Inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of penalty notices for disorder issued to recipients of all ages, by police force area, all offences, England and Wales 2004 to 2006( 1) 
			  Police force area  2004( 2)  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 508 3,244 3,951 
			 Bedfordshire 503 1,239 1,645 
			 British Transport police n/a n/a 3,058 
			 Cambridgeshire 359 1,046 1,518 
			 Cheshire 972 2,387 2,283 
			 City of London 60 219 316 
			 Cleveland 559 2,806 3,570 
			 Cumbria 578 1,220 1,693 
			 Derbyshire 656 1,593 2,583 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,889 5,134 7,022 
			 Dorset 516 1,381 2,309 
			 Durham 597 1,149 1,591 
			 Essex 2,802 4,454 4,461 
			 Gloucestershire 473 1,721 3,164 
			 Greater Manchester 2,253 7,256 10,881 
			 Hampshire 2,116 3,658 4,909 
			 Hertfordshire 412 1,296 5,615 
			 Humberside 1,596 3,265 5,490 
			 Kent 767 5,032 7,080 
			 Lancashire 5,077 10,222 12,479 
			 Leicestershire 756 1,909 2,426 
			 Lincolnshire 544 2,373 2,049 
			 Merseyside 3,929 11,937 11,709 
			 Metropolitan 12,758 18,047 20,856 
			 Norfolk 475 676 1,332 
			 North Yorkshire 1,078 1,596 2,395 
			 Northamptonshire 570 1,403 2,541 
			 Northumbria 211 2,147 6,418 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,060 2,119 2,304 
			 South Yorkshire 2,098 3,710 6,185 
			 Staffordshire 1,450 2,169 3,261 
			 Suffolk 472 901 1,472 
			 Surrey 203 641 2,844 
			 Sussex 1,509 4,193 5,268 
			 Thames Valley 1,038 5,795 6,789 
			 Warwickshire 481 933 1,049 
			 West Mercia 275 1,774 3,533 
			 West Midlands 4,773 7,320 8,015 
			 West Yorkshire 4,277 9,217 8,930 
			 Wiltshire 610 1,080 1,246 
			 
			  England 61,260 138,262 186,240 
			 
			 Dyfed Powys 459 1,214 1,393 
			 Gwent 424 1,511 2,050 
			 North Wales 1,255 3,792 6,167 
			 South Wales 241 1,702 5,347 
			 
			  Wales 2,379 8,219 14,957 
			 
			  England and Wales 63,639 146,481 201,197 
			 n/a = Not applicable. The British Transport police started issuing PNDs on 1 March 2006. (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) First year of PND scheme. Fully rolled out to all forces on 1 April 2004. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Number of cannabis warnings issued by police force area and year 2005-06 to 2007-08( 1,2) 
			  Police force area  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,578 3,600 2,554 
			 Bedfordshire 643 324 289 
			 British Transport police 203 430 1,707 
			 Cambridgeshire 492 956 1,594 
			 Cheshire 393 532 757 
			 City of London 682 373 436 
			 Cleveland 392 331 686 
			 Cumbria 219 231 218 
			 Derbyshire 513 497 520 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,532 1,473 1,380 
			 Dorset 340 348 393 
			 Durham 207 257 256 
			 Essex 697 722 1,348 
			 Gloucestershire 395 419 459 
			 Greater Manchester 3,235 4,943 5,311 
			 Hampshire 1,113 1,477 2,260 
			 Hertfordshire 488 1,394 1,485 
			 Humberside 149 533 895 
			 Kent 497 652 846 
			 Lancashire 237 210 528 
			 Leicestershire 978 1,555 1,967 
			 Lincolnshire 471 543 508 
			 Merseyside 8,561 7,204 7,229 
			 Metropolitan 21,040 30,554 46,986 
			 Norfolk 638 731 786 
			 North Yorkshire 654 554 702 
			 Northamptonshire 111 206 311 
			 Northumbria 155 1,419 1,311 
			 Nottinghamshire 855 1,077 1,210 
			 South Yorkshire 1,023 1,027 1,296 
			 Staffordshire 1,323 1,282 1,150 
			 Suffolk 64 573 599 
			 Surrey 482 754 993 
			 Sussex 1,350 1,971 2,447 
			 Thames Valley 1,883 2,431 2,753 
			 Warwickshire 419 650 399 
			 West Mercia 582 686 756 
			 West Midlands 3,451 2,852 2,286 
			 West Yorkshire 1,839 1,539 1,340 
			 Wiltshire 394 231 218 
			 
			  England 61,278 77,541 99,169 
			 
			 Dyfed Powys 799 887 882 
			 Gwent 396 646 757 
			 North Wales 793 971 985 
			 South Wales 536 1,266 2,414 
			 
			  Wales 2,524 3,770 5,038 
			 
			  England and Wales 63,802 81,311 104,207 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) Cannabis warnings cannot be shown at the police force area level for 2004-05. In this period, there were an estimated 39,256 cannabis warnings issued in England and Wales.

Police: Disciplinary Proceedings

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police disciplinary proceedings following internal investigations took place in each year since 2001.

Jacqui Smith: This information is no longer collected by the Home Office. The collation and publication of the statistics requested has been the responsibility of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) since 1 April
	2004, in accordance with the Police Reform Act 2002.
	The Home Office data is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Most severe misconduct sanction imposed on each officer by category 
			  Misconduct Sanction  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04 
			 Dismissal 41 24 44 33 
			 Requested to resign 84 73 71 62 
			 Reduction in rank 15 19 18 14 
			 Reduction in pay (disciplinary punishment) 7 3 — — 
			 Fine 154 191 169 138 
			 Reprimand 86 88 58 42 
			 Caution 51 50 42 21 
			 Substantiated - no further action 4 8 7 14 
			 Total 442 456 409 324

Police: Training

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training police officers are required to undertake on the issues of  (a) domestic violence,  (b) female genital mutilation,  (c) forced marriage,  (d) rape,  (e) stalking,  (f) human trafficking and  (g) honour-based violence.

Alan Campbell: The National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) has developed modules for training domestic abuse which are used by the police service. All new recruits and civilian staff receive this which equates to two days training and incorporates child protection training.
	The modules are being currently being refreshed by the NPIA to incorporate female genital mutilation (FGM), stalking and harassment and "honour"-based violence (HBV).
	Some police forces have produced stand alone training, for example, the Metropolitan Police Service Project Azore, which relates to specialist staff receiving training on FGM and Thames Valley police, South Wales and the North Eastern regional police forces who have produced training around HBV, FGM and trafficking for frontline staff, senior investigating officers (SIO), call handlers, and specialists. This training has been forwarded to the NPIA product design for assessment with a view to informing the national training.
	The specially trained officer development programme (STODP) was developed by the NPIA to develop the skills and competence of officers dealing with rape victims.
	The role profile and the programme itself was developed through wide consultation with practitioners in the police service and representatives from the following:
	Home Office
	Crown Prosecution Service
	Health Service
	Voluntary Sector
	Skills for Justice
	The programme consists of three stages:
	1. A knowledge acquisition stage—consisting of distance learning workbooks
	2. A skills development stage—consisting of a two week course.
	3. A workplace learning and assessment stage—through a professional development portfolio.
	This programme was delivered to the police service through a number regional roadshows conducted in November 2007.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what procedures are in place in his Department to ensure that data is not lost; and what steps his Department takes to ensure that companies contracted to provide services for his Department take steps to prevent such losses.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department protects its information by complying with government security standards which are a mix of physical and logical controls.
	Staff have been reminded of their responsibility to protect and secure information and to not copy sensitive data to removable media unless it is absolutely necessary. If they do they have been reminded that it should be safeguarded as if it was a large amount of cash.
	Laptop hard drives are encrypted and only encrypted data sticks may carry departmental information.
	My Department uses the standard terms and conditions provided by the OGC in its contracts. It also includes the specific mandatory requirements set out in the Cabinet Office review of data handling in its invitation to tender documentation. Compliance with all security requirements is a compulsory element of tender evaluation.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the data shared between his Department and companies contracted to provide services for it is routinely encrypted.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department does not hold large amounts of sensitive data that needs to be shared with suppliers. Payroll information is shared with a supplier and passes across a secure Government Secure Intranet and is not encrypted.

Departmental Land

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much surplus land  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies own; and what the (i) area and (ii) estimated monetary value of each site is.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Neither the Department for Culture, Media and Sport nor it's agency The Royal Parks, own any surplus land.

Tourism: Departmental Coordination

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he last chaired a meeting with the Ministers from the Department for Communities and Local Government, Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Home Office to discuss UK tourism-related issues.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 17 November 2008
	The Secretary of State and I regularly raise tourism-related issues in the course of discussions with colleagues across Government.
	My predecessor, the right hon. Member for Barking (Margaret Hodge) met with the right Hon. Member for Birmingham Hodge Hill (Mr. Byrne) the former Minister of State at the Home Office in April to discuss visas. She also met with the hon. Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) the former Parliamentary under Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government on 21 July 2008 to discuss concerns raised by VisitBritain, on behalf of small accommodation providers about The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and its impact on their establishments.
	I will shortly be meeting with the right hon. Member for Oldham East and Sadleworth (Mr. Woolas) Minister of State at the Home Office and HM Treasury to continue the discussions on visas and also with the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton South East (Mr. McFadden) Minister for State at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to discuss Daylight Saving.

Higher Education: North West

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what discussions the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has had with  (a) employees and  (b) employer organisations in the North West on their input to funding HEFCE's decision-making process in the last 12 months.

David Lammy: HEFCE use formulae to determine how most of the money is allocated between HE institutions, helping to reduce the number of separate funding streams and minimise the accountability burden. These formulae take account of certain factors for each institution, including the number and type of students, the subjects taught, and the amount and quality of research undertaken.
	In the North West region, close contact with the North West Development Agency, the Learning and Skills Council and other agencies, together with employer representative involvement in its Employer Engagement Panel, routinely help to inform HEFCE's decisions over that funding which is not allocated by formula.

Literacy

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the levels of adult literacy in England; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: The 2003 Skills for Life Needs Survey estimated that 5.2 million adults have literacy skills below Level 1 (broadly equivalent to an English GCSE at grades D to G.) A further survey will be conducted during this spending review period.
	Good literacy skills are crucial to life and work, and the Government are committed to enabling adults to improve these skills. Free literacy courses are available to adults in England through the Government's Skills for Life strategy, which was launched in 2001. So far 2,276,000 adults have improved their literacy, language and numeracy skills and gained a first qualification, meaning the Government have met the 2010 Skills for Life target over two years early. Well over one million of these qualifications were achieved in literacy.
	Our long-term ambition, as set out in World Class Skills, is for 95 per cent. of adults to have functional literacy skills by 2020, up from 85 per cent. in 2005. To achieve this trajectory the Learning and Skills Council's 2007 Statement of Priorities set out plans to deliver 597,000 literacy achievements at Level 1 or above during the period 2008 to 2011.

Research: Finance

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much co-funding from the private sector the research councils attracted in each of the last fifteen years, expressed in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 18 November 2008
	 The total value of co-funding from the private sector for the 10 complete years since 1998/99, the earliest year from which figures for the councils are available without incurring disproportionate cost, is as follows:
	
		
			  Table 1. Cash terms or nearest approximation( 1) 
			   Total (000) 
			 1998/99 72,890 
			 1999/2000 69,365 
			 2000/01 79,396 
			 2001/02 117,508 
			 2002/03 139,519 
			 2003/04 96,027 
			 2004/05 89,496 
			 2005/06 81,399 
			 2006/07 89,767 
			 2007/08 108,733 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Real terms or nearest approximation( 1) 
			   GDP deflator  Total (000) 
			 1998/99 80.396 90,644 
			 1999/2000 81.976 84,616 
			 2000/01 83.051 95,599 
			 2001/02 84.903 138,403 
			 2002/03 87.64 159,196 
			 2003/04 90.138 106,533 
			 2004/05 92.589 96,659 
			 2005/06 94.485 86,150 
			 2006/07 97.03 92,525 
			 2007/08 100 108,733 
			 (1) Some of the figures included in table 1 are on resource/accrual terms and represent the nearest approximation available for cash terms without incurring disproportionate cost. Real terms value in table 2 were calculated from these figures by applying GDP deflators, which were last updated 30 September 2008.  Notes: 1. The private sector has been defined as organisations not controlled by Government. 2. AHRC was not formed until 1 April 2005. 3. ESRC data are not available for 1998/99, 1999/2000 or 2000/01.

Carbon Emissions: Housing

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding the Government has provided for the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in each financial year since its creation.

Mike O'Brien: The budget for the Low Carbon Buildings Programme is not allocated by year. The total budget for the programme is 86 million.
	We have spent the following in each financial year since 2006.
	
		
			   
			  FY  Phase one  Phase two 
			 2006-07 3,060,739 n/a 
			 2007-08 4,551,071 491,025 
			 2008-09 (1)1,803,366 (2)4,128,692 
			 (1) Up to September (2) Up to August

Departmental Finance

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total departmental spending limit for his Department is in 2008-09.

Mike O'Brien: The final budget for DECC will be agreed once negotiations on the Machinery of Government changes with BERR and DEFRA are complete.

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many permanent staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies are classed as (i) staff without posts and (ii) part of a people action team.

Mike O'Brien: The staffing for DECC will be agreed once negotiations on the machinery of government changes with BERR and DEFRA are complete. The new Department (DECC) will consist of posts taken from the existing Departments for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and from Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (DEFRA). The detail is still being worked on and once the negotiations are complete we will be in a position to answer this question.

Departmental NDPBs

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department; and what budget each has been set for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Mike O'Brien: The Cabinet Office paper in the House Library titled 'Machinery of Government: economy, business, climate change, energy and environment' sets out much of this information. There are ongoing negotiations to determine the overall functions of the Department and which additional regulators, inspectorate, executive agencies and NDPB might become the responsibility of the Department. Once these are completed they will be a matter of public record.

Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's strategic objectives are.

Mike O'Brien: The machinery of government document of 3 October 2008 details the targets that DECC has inherited as follows:
	Lead the global effort to avoid dangerous climate change (PSA);
	Climate change tackled internationally and through domestic action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (DSO);
	Ensure the reliable supply and efficient use of clean, safe and competitively priced energy (DSO);
	Manage energy liabilities effectively and responsibly (DSO);
	DECC will contribute to BERR's DSO to deliver free and fair markets, with greater competition, for businesses, consumers and employees.
	Progress against these will have been reported on in BERR and DEFRA publications to date and DECC will be reporting on these targets as part of its annual report. DECC will be considering if the DSOs adequately reflect its targets and if further DSOs are required.

Energy Technologies Institute: Finance

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  how much the Government plans to give to the Energy Technologies Institute in each of the next five financial years;
	(2)  what funding the Government has provided for the Energy Technologies Institute in each financial year since its creation.

Si�n Simon: I have been asked to reply.
	The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) was legally established as a limited liability partnership in December 2007 between BP, Caterpillar, EDF Energy, EON, Rolls Royce, Shell and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). The DIUS contribution to ETI is provided through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Technology Strategy Board. The total DIUS contribution in 2008 is estimated to be 3.77 million. ETI expenditure is expected to rise over the next few years as technology projects come on stream. DIUS is committed to provide up to 50 million pa for the next decade to match contributions from industry partners.

Marine Renewables Deployment Fund: Finance

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the budget is for the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund in  (a) this financial year and  (b) each of the next five financial years.

Mike O'Brien: The machinery of government changes of 3 October 2008 announced the creation of the Department of Energy and Climate Change, formed from the energy group located in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the climate change group located in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	The annual budgets for the Department of Energy and Climate Change are currently being decided. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will transfer their budgets for Energy and Climate Change respectively, based on the settlements agreed in the comprehensive spending review 2007 (CSR07), for the financial years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. The annual budgets for the Department for Energy and Climate Change will be agreed in due course.

Marine Renewables Deployment Fund: Finance

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding the Government has provided for the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund in each financial year since its creation.

Mike O'Brien: The Marine Renewables Deployment Fund was set up in 2005 with a 50 million budget.

Sellafield

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter of 27 October 2008 from the Minister for Energy to the hon. Member for Newport West on nuclear indemnity for the new Sellafield Parent Body Organisation.

Mike O'Brien: I will place a copy of my letter of 29 October in to the Libraries of the House. It should be noted, however, that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's letter of 3 November to the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee provides a more recent account of events. The letter stated that BERR's intention was clearly to place a copy of the letter from Malcolm Wicks to my hon. Friend and the Departmental Minute in the Libraries of the House. The purpose was to make Parliament aware that it was seeking the approval to the Sellafield indemnity of the chairs of the relevant Parliament Committees, in the interest of openness and transparency. I regret that, due to an administrative error, this was not done and that it was only noticed when the Departmental Parliamentary Unit was asked on 15 October to check that the letter had been laid. It was deposited in the Libraries of the House on that same day.

Ofsted: Industrial Disputes

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect on productivity within the Children's Directorate of Ofsted of industrial action by Unison and Public and Commercial Services Union members; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what type of employment tribunal claims against Ofsted have been lodged with an employment tribunal whose tribunal proceedings have not yet concluded.

Jim Knight: These are matters for Ofsted. HM chief inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and copies of her replies; have been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 6 November 2008:
	PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION NUMBER 232997: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effect on productivity within the Children's Directorate of Ofsted of industrial action by UNISON and Public and Commercial Services Union members; and if he will make a statement.
	Unison and the Public and Commercial Services Union have been jointly involved in the industrial action with Ofsted over a dispute with the current pay model, implemented on 31 March 2008. This industrial action has consisted of:
	a one day strike on Friday 16 May 2008;
	action short of a strike from Monday 19 May 2008 to Friday 30 May 2008; and
	action short of a strike from Monday 16 June to Wednesday 17 December 2008.
	The action short of a strike primarily consisted of:
	working to contractual hours
	not working overtime
	not using personal vehicles for inspections and other official visits.
	There has been very little impact on the productivity within the Children's Directorate of Ofsted. The industrial action mainly affected those inspectors of childcare and early education who were members of the above unions. 236 inspectors and managers from the Children's Directorate were recorded as striking on 16 May.
	With regard to the regulation of childcare and early education, the period of the industrial action started after the end of the prescribed inspection period, completed by 31 March 2008. The new inspection programme did not commence until 1 September 2008. Our planned programme of work for the summer included registration visits, re-inspection of inadequate provision; short inspections of those providers who had no children on roll during the prescribed period; and first inspections of those who registered with us from December 2007. We completed all our planned inspection work during this period. We also met our targets for investigating complaints and for registering new day-care providers. Although we did not meet our registration target for new childminders, our evidence suggests the main reason for this was the delays caused by some police authorities in obtaining the CRB checks. As a consequence, I wrote to a number of police authorities about this issue.
	We also undertook a four-day training of all inspectors and an assessment of their learning during June and July 2008 in preparation for the Early Years Foundation Stage. All scheduled training took place with no reported absences of inspectors due to industrial action.
	The industrial action did not have any impact on productivity relating to inspections of children's social care.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 4 November 2008:
	PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION NUMBER 233000: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what type of employment tribunal claims against Ofsted have been lodged with an employment tribunal whose tribunal proceedings have not yet concluded.
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	At present, there are five employment claims in the tribunal, of which four are for unfair dismissal and one is for equal pay.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight, Minister for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Schools: Manpower

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many full-time equivalent  (a) teachers,  (b) teaching assistants and  (c) support staff there were in local education authority schools in (i) Yorkshire and the Humber and (ii) City of York constituency in (A) 1997 and (B) the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teachers, teaching assistants and support staff employed in local authority maintained schools in Yorkshire and the Humber government office region, the City of York constituency and England, January 1997 and 2008,
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent teachers( 1) , teaching assistants( 2)  and support staff in local authority maintained nursery, primary, secondary, special and pupil referral units, years 1997 to 2008coverage: Yorkshire and The Humber government office region, City of York constituency and England 
			   Yorkshire and The Humber  City of York  England 
			   Teachers( 4)  Teaching assistants( 3)  Support  s taff( 3,4)  Teachers( 4)  Teaching assistants( 3)  Support  s taff( 3,4)  Teachers( 5)  Teaching assistants( 3)  Support  s taff( 3,4) 
			  January :  
			 1997 41,900 7,700 14,900 700 100 200 399,200 60,600 133,500 
			 2008 44,300 19,300 35,100 700 400 600 434,900 175,700 322,400 
			 (1) Includes qualified and unqualified teachers. (2) Teaching assistants include teaching assistants, special needs support staff and minority ethnic pupil. (3) Source: School Census (4) Includes 'teaching assistants'. (5) Source: Annual Survey of Teacher in Service and Teacher Vacancies; 618g  Notes: 1. Excludes academies and city technology colleges. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

Schools: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department plans to spend on the National Challenge in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: As set out in the National Challenge documents published on 10 June 2000, the Department of Children, Schools and Families will deploy 400 million of support to the National Challenge for the three financial years starting 1 April 2008 and ending 31 March 2011. The precise phasing between these three financial years is flexible, depending on the needs of schools.
	The National Challenge is designed to facilitate sustained improvements in schools andwith the exception of some previously committed spending on establishing structural interventionswe are not expecting to provide funding beyond 2010-11.

Specialised Diplomas

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people have registered for 14 to 19 diplomas this year, broken down by  (a) subject and  (b) level of diploma.

Jim Knight: The latest information we have from local consortia indicates that around 12,000 young people are currently working towards a Diploma qualification, based upon returns from all but one of the local authorities involved. By subject and level, this breaks down as:
	
		
			  Line  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3  Total 
			 Construction and the Built Environment 503 1,019 179 1,701 
			 Creative and Media 556 2,463 637 3,658 
			 Engineering 605 1,806 420 2,831 
			 Information Technology 360 1,286 359 2,005 
			 Society, Heath, and Development 282 1,156 393 1,831 
			 Total 2,308 7,730 1,988 12,026

Occupied Territories: Overseas Aid

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what development assistance the Government has provided to the Palestinian Territories in each of the last two financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: In 2006-07 the Department for International Development (DFID) provided a total of 54 million to help the Palestinian people. Of this, 15 million was bilateral aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, 15 million was through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to help Palestinian refugees in the region, and 24 million was through our core funding for other multilateral organisations that provide overseas development assistance to the Palestinians.
	In 2007-08 DFID provided 63.6 million in bilateral aid, including 15.6 million to UNRWA. Figures for our support to the Occupied Palestinian Territories through core funding for other multilateral organisations will be available in December.

Reconstruction

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of development projects of each type undertaken in  (a) Afghanistan and ( b) Iraq have been constructed to sphere standards in each month of the last five years.

Douglas Alexander: The complex environments present in Afghanistan and Iraq render difficult the application of Sphere standards. It is not possible to provide detailed information about the percentage of projects in Afghanistan and Iraq constructed to Sphere standards.
	However, the principles enshrined within Sphere are used as guidelines by many international agencies in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Turks and Caicos Islands: Overseas Aid

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department has provided to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands following Hurricane Ike.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) provided 200,000 in post-hurricane humanitarian relief, comprising 110,000 through the International Red Cross for the Turks and Caicos Red Cross Society to supply emergency shelter, sanitation and cooking equipment and general relief; and 90,000 to the Pan-American Health Organisation for emergency health and water systems.
	The Royal Navy vessels Iron Duke and Wave Ruler, pre-positioned in the Caribbean, also provided swift logistical and manpower support and distributed DFID relief supplies carried on board for that purpose.
	DFID also deployed two humanitarian specialists, one from London and one based in the region, to work with the Turks and Caicos authorities and the relief agencies.
	We have provided, and continue to offer, technical assistance to develop a longer-term recovery plan. The UK Government will provide financial assistance for recovery subject to discussions with the Turks and Caicos government which are nearing conclusion.
	We are pleased to note that the Turks and Caicos obtained a $6.3 million payment from the Caribbean Catastrophic Risk Insurance Facility. DFID helped to launch this initiative in 2007.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Overseas Aid

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether reconstruction experts funded from the public purse have visited the Turks and Caicos Island since Hurricane Ike.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development financed the visit of a technical adviser from the Cayman Islands to assist the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the preliminary recovery planning.

Zimbabwe: Economic Situation

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has made to  (a) the government of Zimbabwe,  (b) donor countries and  (c) the United Nations on allegations that money deposited by the Global Fund in the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has been misappropriated.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb) on 10 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 945-6W.

Conflict Resolution

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) office space and  (b) Civil Service support will be provided to the special representative for conflict resolution mechanisms; and what expenses the representative will be able to claim.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked Jack McConnell MSP to become his Special Representative for Conflict Resolution Mechanisms. Mr. McConnell will be based in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), working with the FCO, the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
	Mr. McConnell has been allocated an office in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which will provide a base. Staff in the FCO, MOD and DFID working on conflict issues will provide support. His travel and any other out of pocket expenses related to this role will be covered by the Departments concerned.

EU Institutions: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which civil servants for whom he has responsibility, other than those employed by the Welsh Assembly Government, represent the interests of Wales at the EU institutions; and what their responsibilities are.

Gillian Merron: Foreign policy, including our policy towards the EU, is a reserved matter for the UK Government. But we consult the Welsh Assembly government closely on issues relating to its areas of responsibilities. The staff of the UK Representation to the European Union in Brussels (UKRep), as in all our diplomatic posts, advance the interests of the UK as a whole, including Wales.

Gulf of Aden: Piracy

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the origin and base of operations of those responsible for piracy in the Gulf of Aden region; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We understand from the British Officers at the Maritime Trade Office that most piracy in the Gulf of Aden originates from the Puntland region of Somalia.
	The UK Government support United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1816 and 1838 calling on parties to address the growing problem of piracy off the coast of Somalia. We have been working with our EU and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) partners to implement these resolutions.
	In September the EU set up a team to co-ordinate naval escorts protecting world food programme deliveries to Mogadishu. The EU is now planning a larger counter-piracy operation to which the UK will provide the operation commander and operation
	headquarters. EU partners agree that any operation must be co-ordinated with NATO and Combined Task Force 150, themselves active to deter piracy off the Horn of Africa. The UK contributes to both.
	Through the Department for International Development, the UK has allocated 25 million to support efforts to tackle the instability in Somalia which creates the conditions allowing piratical activity to flourish.

International Red Cross

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Minister in his Department is responsible for dealing with the International Committee of the Red Cross, with particular reference to its activity in Iraq and Afghanistan.

David Miliband: My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister responsible for Afghanistan while my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Bill Rammell, is the Minister responsible for Iraq. Both cover the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross in their respective portfolios.

Lighting: EU Law

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the Government's proposals to lower the rate of VAT on energy-efficient light bulbs to receive approval at EU level.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the then Financial Secretary for the Treasury (Jane Kennedy) on 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1266W.

Nigeria: Capital Punishment

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking in respect of the use of the death penalty in Nigeria; and what representations his Department has made to the government of Nigeria on the number of people sentenced to death and awaiting execution in that country.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, through its Strategic Programme Fund, supports two Nigerian civil society projects which aim to move Nigeria towards abolition of the death penalty. One project supports a civil society coalition that works to change legal, public and official perceptions of the death penalty. The other project supports a Nigerian non-governmental organisation that supports legal challenges to the constitutionality of certain applications of the death penalty.
	FCO officials have raised Nigeria's continued use of the death penalty with senior members of the Nigerian government several times in the past year. The EU has also raised the issue with the Nigerian government, and the FCO will continue to encourage member states to engage in this area.

Special Representative for Conflict Resolution Mechanisms

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Special Representative for Conflict Resolution Mechanisms receives remuneration in respect of this role.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked Jack McConnell, Member of the Scottish Parliament to become his Special Representative for Conflict Resolution Mechanisms. Mr McConnell will be based in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), working with the FCO, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence. His travel and other out of pocket expenses will be covered by the departments concerned.

Uzbekistan: Human Rights

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received of the Uzbekistan Government allegedly contravening  (a) the International Labour Organisation Convention on Minimal Age of Employment and  (b) the Convention on Prohibition and Immediate Action for Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour; what steps his Department is taking in response; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: We have been concerned by reports from our non-governmental organisations and informal monitoring by the United Nations Children's Fund's (UNICEF) representative in Uzbekistan that child labour has been used during this year's cotton harvest. Our embassy in Tashkent is funding a project to establish stronger child labour monitoring systems to estimate the prevalence of child labour in remote rural cotton growing areas of Uzbekistan. The project aims to prevent and combat child labour through informal education and vocational training. Our Embassy in Tashkent will also remain in regular contact with UNICEF.
	We will continue to monitor the general human rights situation in Uzbekistan and to make known our concerns through a critical, but constructive dialogue with the Uzbek authorities. We welcome Uzbekistan's recent ratification of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention on Minimal Age of Employment and the ILO Convention on Prohibition and Immediate Action for Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, and are ready to work with the government of Uzbekistan in strengthening all aspects of human rights in Uzbekistan.